Just picked up a copy of Edi Fitzroy's "First Class Citizen" on Musical Ambassador (Trevor Elliott production), and it's a first-class release. The rhythms in particular are excellent; they're at once strong and sweet without leaning too much towards plodding heavyness or too-sugary lovers rock. Listening to the album and looking through my collection and on the internet has raised some questions . . . .

First, on the above CD, the track "Have You Ever" has weird clicking noises on it. Not a big deal as I have a good CD-R copy of the 12" mix of the song, but a little strange since the rest of the CD has great sound - does anyone else have this problem, or did I get a defective copy?

Secondly, I noticed that some of the rhythms on the Fitzroy album also underpinned tunes on Ringo's "Cool Profile" album, another good LP (that I only have on CD-R). I checked it out on Roots Archives, and found that although it was released on Musical Ambassador, production was credited to Robert "Flako" Palmer, the producer normally associated with Negus Roots. At first I thought this might be a mistake, but then I remembered that there was a double-sized Edi Fitzroy 12" produced by Elliott and released on Negus Roots (Love The People Want // Have You Ever). Anyone who has the original LP - was this a mistake on the part of Roots Archives? Or was it actually produced by Palmer? And if it was produced by Palmer, does anybody know more about this connection between Negus Roots and Musical Ambassador? Musical Ambassador now has a website (http://www.musicalambassador.com), but mentions nothing of it. (I guess I could always email Elliott himself and ask if nobody knows . . .)

Lastly, what are some other good tunes on the label to look for? Captain has a few Horace Martin and Bobby Melody tunes on his website (Saturday Night Jamboree, I'll Take You Back Home, and Africa Is Calling from the former, Cheer Up and Drewsland Rock from the latter) - what else is worth seeking out?[/url]

This LP without doubt is Edi's finest. I recall I bought this back in 82 when it first released and it has been a fav on my collection all these years now. I have never seen much on the label sine apart from a 10" which I also have of Edi called "chant it to di riddim". There is a wicked track on the flip of it credited to a "Sydney Mankind" (cant recall the title right now).I have also seen the occassional 45 up on ebay but it appears to be a rare enough sight to see. The Edi LP was also re-issued on the "Confidence" label a few years back, in fact I think EB has it now, least he did a while back. Out of the 4 or 5 LPs I have of him this one is TOP A TOP of the bunch with some of the others being exceptionally poor.

Other Baffers should take note of this fine offering and keep an eye out for it.

Thanks for the info, Digi, I figured the album would be right up your alley (BMC, if you don't have this one already, you'll like it too). Digi, if you don't have the Ringo album already, you should seek that one out!
Just so I know, which of Fitzroy's other albums are poor? In particular, is "Deep In Mi Culture" any good? It's been available for dirt cheap on Ernie's for a while, but I don't know whether that's an opportunity or a bad omen!

For the record, the core of the CD release is the "Check For You Once / Youthman Penitentiary" LP but with the tracklisting shuffled around; the CD also includes "Chant It" (but only a vocal - is the 10" extended?), "Have You Ever" (again not the extended mix), and a wicked track called "The Gun" and its dub.

Deep in my culture on the Henry K label is absolute rubbish imho, very dissapointed with this when I got it from EB earlier this year. Others that are of equal poor grade are "Eclipse" on RAS which is VERY weak. I also have another on the "Witty" label I think it is (cant recall the name now) which is dead stock. It has a revamped cut of "Chant it" on there which is about the best on it. Youthman Penitentary is a solid LP on the "Alligator" label I fully agree.

The 10" of "Chant it" does in fact run into a wicked Radics extended version. A great 10" for sure.

The Ringo LP I would love to get, I do have a 12" of "Youthman Penitentary" on the "Maroon Rockers" label, again an Elliot production where Ringo rides the flip side but yes I will hunt out that Ringo set sometime.